Patents by Inventor Shane MacNamara
Shane MacNamara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11514565Abstract: A safe optoelectronic sensor is provided for securing a monitored zone comprising at least one machine, wherein the sensor has at least one light receiver for generating a received signal from received light from the monitored zone and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to determine distances from objects in the monitored zone from the received signal, and to treat gaps, i.e. safety relevant part regions of the monitored zone in which no reliable distance can be determined, as an object at a predefined distance. The predefined distance here corresponds to a height for securing against reach over.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2019Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: SICK AGInventors: Ingolf Braune, Armin Hornung, Matthias Neubauer, Shane Macnamara
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Patent number: 10969762Abstract: A method of configuring at least one hazard zone to be monitored by at least one three-dimensional (3D) sensor includes fixing outer surfaces, where the at least one hazard zone is a volume defined by the outer surfaces, and is a zone in which a machine to be secured is located. Additionally, a check is made during the configuration or after the configuration whether the outer surfaces are visible to the at least one 3D sensor.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: SICK AGInventors: Armin Hornung, Matthias Neubauer, Ingolf Braune, Shane MacNamara, Thomas Neumann
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Publication number: 20190377322Abstract: A method is provided of configuring at least one hazard zone to be monitored by at least one 3D sensor, wherein the hazard zone is a volume defined by outer surfaces in which a machine to be secured is located; and wherein the outer surfaces are fixed by the configuration. In this process, a check is made during the configuration or after the configuration whether the outer surfaces are visible to at least one of the 3D sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2019Publication date: December 12, 2019Inventors: Armin HORNUNG, Matthias NEUBAUER, Ingolf BRAUNE, Shane MACNAMARA, Thomas NEUMANN
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Publication number: 20190362487Abstract: A safe optoelectronic sensor is provided for securing a monitored zone comprising at least one machine, wherein the sensor has at least one light receiver for generating a received signal from received light from the monitored zone and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to determine distances from objects in the monitored zone from the received signal, and to treat gaps, i.e. safety relevant part regions of the monitored zone in which no reliable distance can be determined, as an object at a predefined distance. The predefined distance here corresponds to a height for securing against reach over.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: Ingolf BRAUNE, Armin HORNUNG, Matthias NEUBAUER, Shane MACNAMARA
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Patent number: 8735792Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for monitoring a working area (42) is provided, the working area (42) being located within a detection area (20) of the sensor (10) and in a first distance from the sensor (10), wherein the sensor (10) comprises an illumination unit (22) with a light source (24) for at least partially illuminating the working area (42), and an object detection unit (30) for detecting forbidden objects in the working area (42), wherein an illumination control (28) of the illumination unit (22) is configured to, during a startup period, initially activate the illumination unit (28) with a lower power such that a provisional working area (40, 40a-c) in a second distance from the sensor (10) less than the first distance is illuminated at most with a predetermined maximum light output; test whether there is a forbidden object intrusion into the provisional working area (40, 40a-c); and if no forbidden object intrusion is detected, activate the illumination unit (28) with a higher power such that thType: GrantFiled: August 12, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sick AGInventors: Markus Hammes, Ingolf Braune, Stephan Schmitz, Shane MacNamara
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Publication number: 20120074296Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for monitoring a working area (42) is provided, the working area (42) being located within a detection area (20) of the sensor (10) and in a first distance from the sensor (10), wherein the sensor (10) comprises an illumination unit (22) with a light source (24) for at least partially illuminating the working area (42), and an object detection unit (30) for detecting forbidden objects in the working area (42), wherein an illumination control (28) of the illumination unit (22) is configured to, during a startup period, initially activate the illumination unit (28) with a lower power such that a provisional working area (40, 40a-c) in a second distance from the sensor (10) less than the first distance is illuminated at most with a predetermined maximum light output; test whether there is a forbidden object intrusion into the provisional working area (40, 40a-c); and if no forbidden object intrusion is detected, activate the illumination unit (28) with a higher power such that thType: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2011Publication date: March 29, 2012Applicant: SICK AGInventors: Markus HAMMES, Ingolf BRAUNE, Stephan SCHMITZ, Shane MACNAMARA
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Patent number: 8139204Abstract: A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor for the monitoring of a working zone is provided which is located within a detection zone of the sensor and at a first distance from the sensor, wherein the sensor has a lighting unit having a light source to illuminate the working zone at least partly as well as an object detection unit by means of which unauthorized objects in the working zone can be detected. In this respect, an illumination control is designed, in a switching-on phase, first to activate the lighting unit with a lower power so that a provisional working zone at a second distance from the sensor less than the first distance is illuminated with at most a preset maximum power; to check by means of the object detection unit whether an unauthorized object intrusion is taking place into the provisional working zone; and if no unauthorized object intrusion is recognized, to activate the lighting unit at a higher power so that the working zone is illuminated with at most the preset maximum power.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2010Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: Sick AGInventors: Ingolf Braune, Markus Hammes, Stefan Schmitz, Shane MacNamara
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Publication number: 20110001799Abstract: A 3D sensor (10) having at least one image sensor (14) for the generation of image data of a monitored region (12) as well as a 3D evaluation unit (28) are provided, the evaluation unit (28) is adapted for the calculation of a depth map having distance pixels from the image data and for the determination of reliability values for the distance pixels. In this respect a gap evaluation unit (28) is provided which is adapted to recognize regions of the depth map with distance pixels whose reliability value does not satisfy a reliability criteria as gaps (42) in the depth map and to evaluate whether the depth map has gaps (42) larger than an uncritical maximum size.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2010Publication date: January 6, 2011Applicant: SICK AGInventors: Bernd ROTHENBERGER, Shane MACNAMARA, Ingolf BRAUNE
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Publication number: 20110001957Abstract: A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor for the monitoring of a working zone is provided which is located within a detection zone of the sensor and at a first distance from the sensor, wherein the sensor has a lighting unit having a light source to illuminate the working zone at least partly as well as an object detection unit by means of which unauthorized objects in the working zone can be detected. In this respect, an illumination control is designed, in a switching-on phase, first to activate the lighting unit with a lower power so that a provisional working zone at a second distance from the sensor less than the first distance is illuminated with at most a preset maximum power; to check by means of the object detection unit whether an unauthorized object intrusion is taking place into the provisional working zone; and if no unauthorized object intrusion is recognized, to activate the lighting unit at a higher power so that the working zone is illuminated with at most the preset maximum power.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2010Publication date: January 6, 2011Applicant: SICK AGInventors: Ingolf BRAUNE, Markus HAMMES, Stefan SCHMITZ, Shane MACNAMARA
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Publication number: 20100073461Abstract: A lighting unit (100) having a divergent coherent light source (104, 106) is provided for the generation of an at least locally irregular pattern (20) in a monitored zone (12). In this respect, the lighting unit (100) has an optical phase element (108, 110) in the beam path of the light source (104, 106), said optical phase element having unevenness made to generate local phase differences between light portions incident at the phase element at adjacent positions and thus to generate the irregular pattern (20) by interference.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 18, 2009Publication date: March 25, 2010Applicant: SICK AGInventors: Markus Hammes, Stephan Schmitz, Shane MacNamara, Martin Collischon
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Publication number: 20070244825Abstract: An accessory kit for use with a software based medical resource to perform a particular medical procedure includes a package, a license media that includes license key information, a package and an item for use in performing the medical procedure. The method includes the steps of obtaining a license key from a license media, using the key to activate a medical resource, and writing data back to the license media to disable the license key so that the license key can not be reused. One type of license media used is an RFID tag.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2006Publication date: October 18, 2007Inventors: Gilbert Semmer, Shane MacNamara, Jose Moctezuma de la Barrera
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Patent number: 6892134Abstract: Movement of a vehicle such as a boat (30) is guided by dynamically monitoring parameters and generating instructions for the operator. The instructions are at a level to attain a number of sub-goals to reach a goal position (33) from a current position (32). Each sub-goal is attained in a single vehicle manoeuvre such as straight-ahead or rotation, each manoeuvre being instructable to the operator. The instructions are generated using a space model (12) of the space around the vehicle, an operator model (11) of operator vehicle control characteristics, and a vehicle model (12) of vehicle movement characteristics.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2003Date of Patent: May 10, 2005Assignee: Haptica LimitedInventors: Gerard Lacey, Shane MacNamara
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Publication number: 20040064249Abstract: Movement of a vehicle such as a boat (30) is guided by dynamically monitoring parameters and generating instructions for the operator. The instructions are at a level to attain a number of sub-goals to reach a goal position (33) from a current position (32). Each sub-goal is attained in a single vehicle manoeuvre such as straight-ahead or rotation, each manoeuvre being instructable to the operator. The instructions are generated using a space model (12) of the space around the vehicle, an operator model (11) of operator vehicle control characteristics, and a vehicle model (12) of vehicle movement characteristics.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 15, 2003Publication date: April 1, 2004Inventors: Gerard Lacey, Shane MacNamara